No legal compulsion to wear face masks once restrictions are lifted

[MurdockTheMouse]

Sky News reporting this morning that George Eustice has said with the removal of restrictions on July 19th will also come the removal of legal requirements to wear face coverings. I’m torn on how I feel about this.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-no-legal-compulsion-to-wear-face-masks-when-restrictions-are-lifted-minister-says-12340495

@megletthesecond

I'll be keeping mine in enclosed areas. I don't have time to get ill, even a cold. They do a decent job.

They don't stop you getting germs, they stop yours spreading as far.

@ilovesooty

Since enquiries about people not wearing masks aren't acceptable (you don't know what disabilities people have) I hope and expect that if people choose to wear them in certain environments and circumstances people will keep their judgements and comments about virtue signalling to themselves.

I would assume that they were either clinically vulnerable or anxious and would respect that.

@Greenmarmalade

The protection offered: they stop all the droplets spraying out into the room, which potentially contain coronavirus. I imagine they also avoid breathing in such droplets.

No they don't, they only really work if everyone was wearing one and even then not greatly so.

@Chocolatier9a

Oh what a shame. I’ve rather enjoyed them. Hiding my face makes me feel oddly secure.

You won't be forbidden from wearing one. Continue if you want to. There will no longer be a legal obligation to wear the fuckers, but masks themselves won't actually become illegal.

@MRex

I'll still wear one in certain situations like crowded indoor shops, the same places I put a mask on my toddler. It'll be nice to stop the daftness of wearing them at outdoor nursery drop-off, walking between tables in an outdoor pub beer garden etc.

You put a mask on your toddler??

Very jealous of those of you south of the border. Queen Nicola is likely to decree we keep wearing them.

And secondary age children here have been wearing masks in school throughout.

@mysterymile

Seems I'm on my own here but I won't be happy if this happens on the 19th July.

I'm in my early 40s, booked my jabs as soon as I was humanly able, but my 2nd one isn't until mid July. Therefore it's probably fair to say that most people younger than me will not be fully vaccinated by 19th July. Figures in my area are on the rise, highest they've been since March.

I think getting rid of masks prematurely could be a disaster, wait until most adults are fully vaccinated at least (September?) I know people hate them but they're better than all the other restrictions.

You do realise they don't work, right?

Good. I might be able to permanently lose the rash I keep getting where the elastic rubs.

I’ve given mine up already, no one says anything.

“ I know people hate them but they're better than all the other restrictions.”

For you, perhaps

I am so looking forwards to lipreading people again.

I can't cope with the loss of 2/3s of facial expression plus muffled speech, so in masky places that are unavoidable, I've spent the past 11m looking at ankle level and avoiding face level at all. It's been fucking miserable.

The average reused pocket face-rag is not a very effective at managing the virus. Very few people are wearing a regulated product that meets any standard on efficacy. Outside of medical settings, masks are the worst kind of bulking up a risk assessment and ignoring the social harms caused (loss of communication, impairing vision, trips and falls, aggravating medical conditions, environmental harm from production and disposal).

The only way they've helped me not spread any kind of virus is by making going to any indoor space too miserable to contemplate going to voluntarily!

I have to admit it’s nice not smelling people’s bad breath if they’re talking to you. I have a colleague whose breath can linger in the air for a while, a potent mixture of coffee and cigarettes and poor digestion, not pleasant at all. I haven’t missed that at all.

@prodilp1 - your opinion.

You won't be forbidden from wearing one. Continue if you want to. There will no longer be a legal obligation to wear the fuckers, but masks themselves won't actually become illegal.

Sounds thoroughly reasonable; however, I still remember when the rule had just come in a day or two previously and I had to go into the bank. I felt really, really odd having to cover a large part of my face, just like a bank robber would!

It would be interesting to see if, once masks are no longer required, somebody wearing a full face mask that covers everything except for their eyes - not talking balaclava, but a wider, higher, fuller version of what we have as standard now - will actually be allowed in, even if they wouldn't have previously been allowed in without it?!?!

Ive only worn one on one occasion anyway and it was a lace one which would not have protected anyone.

If face masks offered any sort of protection then how did all those people catch covid!!!!

@quizqueen

If face masks offered any sort of protection then how did all those people catch covid!!!!

Presumably while mixing indoors minus their masks. And before masks were made compulsory in some places because that took a while to come into force.

Really @quizqueen? If everyone had adhered to the proper rules and worn medical grade masks it might have helped. I work part time in a busy customer facing role, the amount of people who show up with coats/scarves pulled up instead of a mask or a mask under their nose is frankly unbelievable. If correct mask-wearing didn’t work why do Doctors and nurses even bother using them? Can’t believe this debate is still even going on.

Oh thank fuck. I've only worn one once and had a brutal TN attack which is how I discovered I was exempt! But it's wonderful to know that (hopefully) soon the twats who still think it's ok to abuse and threaten (or spit at, on one memorable occasion) those who are exempt will be a thing of the past.

That said, attitudes have changed a lot in the last couple of months both in real life (I used to get abuse almost every time I went out, now it's once or twice a week) and on MN. The vast majority of posters on this thread apart from the usual suspects are delighted that masks will be going - before about March this year the vitriol aimed at those who could not wear them was astonishing. Lots of disgusting ableism, too.

They are the reason that cases are rising and will continue to rise

No, @Thewiseoneincognito, the reason cases are rising is because that's what viruses do. A few people not wearing masks is not responsible for 16k cases a day.

I saw a whole family today wearing exempt lanyards. Parents and three teenagers. What's the chances of a whole family being exempt?

@TheGenealogist

Very jealous of those of you south of the border. Queen Nicola is likely to decree we keep wearing them.

And secondary age children here have been wearing masks in school throughout.

yeah I was thinking the same thing! I'll be gutted if she insists they stay if England can ditch them.

If correct mask-wearing didn’t work why do Doctors and nurses even bother using them? Can’t believe this debate is still even going on.

Me too I can't believe people still compare doctors nurses to general public using them, I can't believe people can't see difference in different settings.

@MRex

I'll still wear one in certain situations like crowded indoor shops, the same places I put a mask on my toddler. It'll be nice to stop the daftness of wearing them at outdoor nursery drop-off, walking between tables in an outdoor pub beer garden etc.

well thats nice of you to still think about protecting other people......you won't benefit yourself though, assume you know that?

@Sparklingbrook

I saw a whole family today wearing exempt lanyards. Parents and three teenagers. What's the chances of a whole family being exempt?

Some conditions are hereditary. Perhaps they all have hearing issues. Perhaps there's sensory issues involved. Perhaps they weren't from the same family. Perhaps it's none of your business.

@Againstmachine

If correct mask-wearing didn’t work why do Doctors and nurses even bother using them? Can’t believe this debate is still even going on.

Me too I can't believe people still compare doctors nurses to general public using them, I can't believe people can't see difference in different settings.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was yesterday forced to fend off claims he was running a “chumocracy”, after it emerged almost 500 companies with close political ties were given “high priority” access to PPE contracts.

https://www.cityam.com/mps-demand-answers-from-rishi-sunak-on-ppe-procurement/amp/

This is why. It's all about money making